In the starry sky, a spatial vortex suddenly appeared.
The vortex split open silently within the void. From deep within the vortex, a figure flew out and hovered steadily in the starry sky.
It was Lu Qing.
His green robes flapped loudly in the starry sky, yet they bore not a single trace of the spatial turbulence.
The Stone Tablet hovering before him spun once before falling back into his hand.
Then, with a gentle wave of his hand, a beam of light flew out from the Li Huo Cauldron, and the figures of Little Yan and Xiao Li appeared beside him.
"Brother, what exactly is the background of that Senior?" Little Yan asked curiously as soon as she emerged.
Having stayed in the Secret Realm for several days, she had heard many past events from the ancient era, but she had never been able to see through the true identity of that Mysterious Existence.
He was like a lonely old man keeping watch over the Secret Realm, knowing many secrets yet trapped within that space, unable to leave.
Lu Qing gave a soft sigh. "Most likely... he is a steadfast guardian."
In truth, he already knew the origins of the Mysterious Existence.
Back when he was only in the Primordial Spirit Realm, looking at that Senior was like looking at a flower through a fog—everything was blurry, and he only felt that an unfathomable power was contained within that gray shadow.
But after stepping into the Dao Integration Realm, when he returned to the Secret Realm, he saw some clues.
If he hadn't guessed wrong, that Senior should be the artifact spirit of the Trial Shaman Tower within the Secret Realm.
The Trial Shaman Tower towering in the very center of the Secret Realm was a supreme treasure of the Shaman Race. Its grade was extremely high, reaching the level of a Dao Artifact.
It supported the entire Secret Realm space and was the Foundation and core of this dimension.
And that Senior was the artifact spirit of this Dao Artifact.
That was why He could control the entire Secret Realm with ease, knew many secrets of the Shaman Race, and could survive within the Secret Realm for eons without perishing.
However, since that Senior didn't say it himself, Lu Qing didn't expose His identity. Some things were better left as a mutual understanding.
Thinking of this, Lu Qing suddenly placed the Stone Tablet in his hand into Little Yan's hand.
Little Yan was startled and looked down at the Stone Tablet in her palm.
"Little Yan, refine this Stone Tablet," Lu Qing said.
"Refine it? Brother, why?" Little Yan looked up, her eyes full of confusion.
Lu Qing looked at her with a serious expression. "After I leave, if I fail to return within a hundred years and the Heavenly Demon Realm truly invades this Realm, use this Stone Tablet to bring everyone to the Secret Realm from just now to take temporary refuge."
The Shaman Race's trial Secret Realm was located in the deepest parts of the void, and its position was constantly changing, making it extremely difficult to find.
Even a Dao Transformation Realm powerhouse would be fundamentally unable to locate it without the coordinates.
With that Senior there, they could also be protected.
If he ultimately failed to find reinforcements within a hundred years, at least Little Yan and Master's group could hide inside for a time. That was the final retreat he was leaving for them.
Little Yan was silent for a moment, looking down at the Stone Tablet in her hand.
Her fingers tightened slightly, clutching the Stone Tablet in her palm.
She knew her brother was arranging an escape route.
This trip to the other world was fraught with unpredictable dangers; even he himself did not have absolute certainty.
She took a deep breath and looked up, her eyes filled with determination.
"Yes, Brother."
She didn't refuse, nor did she say things like "you must come back." She knew that now was not the time to throw a tantrum.
She couldn't let her brother worry about her constantly while in such a perilous environment in the other world.
Little Yan held the Stone Tablet in her hand, channeled her magic power, and began to refine it.
Before long, the Stone Tablet emitted a soft hum, establishing a mental connection with her.
She put away the Stone Tablet and nodded toward Lu Qing.
Seeing that Little Yan had refined the Stone Tablet, Lu Qing finally showed a smile.
He turned and fixed his gaze on Xiao Li.
Most of the things he needed to do were now complete.
And now, only one last thing remained.
"Xiao Li, give me a drop of your blood."
Xiao Li was standing quietly by Lu Qing's feet. Hearing this, she looked up, her eyes filled with doubt.
"Lu Qing, what do you want my blood for?"
Though confused, she still trusted Lu Qing.
She extended a front paw, and a drop of crimson blood condensed at the tip of her claw.
The blood hovered in the air, emitting a faint glow, with fine patterns faintly visible flowing on its surface.
Lu Qing took the drop of blood and flipped his palm, condensing an illusory space.
That illusory space was only the size of a palm, yet it contained a world within.
Starry rivers flowed, the sun and moon rose and fell, and countless points of light flickered within it.
He cast the drop of blood into the illusory space. The blood instantly turned into a red light and vanished into the depths of the starry river.
"I want to try and see if I can help you find your kin."
Hearing Lu Qing's words, Xiao Li was first stunned, and then her heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
She had never felt the existence of her kin.
Her earliest memories were of waking up in the Ten Thousand Mountains behind Jiuli Village.
Back then, she was still very small and understood nothing, only knowing how to run and hunt in the mountain forests.
Later, she met Lu Qing and Little Yan and began living with them.
As for memories of her kin, they were a total blank.
Even her origins were only learned later from the mouth of the Senior Dragon Turtle in their Home World.
The Senior Dragon Turtle said she should be a descendant of the Dark Spirit Civet clan from the previous cultivation era.
But the previous cultivation era was over thirty thousand years ago.
The Dark Spirit Civet clan had long since vanished, and it was unknown if any clansmen still survived.
So for all these years, Xiao Li had long been psychologically prepared for the possibility that her kin had long since been obliterated in the long river of history.
But now, Lu Qing said he wanted to help her find her kin?
She stared fixedly at that illusory space, hardly daring to breathe.
Within the illusory space, countless images flashed by rapidly like a revolving lantern.
Mountains and rivers, cities and Sects, birds and beasts, Cultivators and Mortals—each image swept past her vision like flowing water, at a speed that left one dazzled.
Finally, the images gradually slowed down, eventually freezing on a certain world.
It was a medium-sized world, hovering in a corner of the starry sky.
The world's surface was covered with large patches of green and blue, with mountains, water, clouds, and mist, appearing full of vitality.
"Lu Qing, what does this mean?" Xiao Li asked hurriedly, her voice tinged with urgency.
Lu Qing looked at that world, a smile appearing on his face.
"The deduction results show that within this world, there are living beings connected to you by blood."
"Living beings connected to me by blood..."
Xiao Li looked blankly at that world, her expression dazed.
In her eyes, there was anticipation, anxiety, and a faint, hidden fear.
She didn't know what was waiting for her in that world.
Was it clansmen, or just distant relatives with only a slight Bloodline connection?
Seeing this, Lu Qing also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He hadn't done this before because he was afraid the final result would disappoint Xiao Li.
If the deduced result was that Xiao Li no longer had any kin, how would he tell her?
But since he would be heading to the other world soon, he still hoped to help Xiao Li fulfill this wish before leaving.
From the looks of it now, the temporary result wasn't bad.
"Lu Qing, do you mean my parents are in this world?" Xiao Li looked up, her eyes carrying a hint of expectation.
Lu Qing shook his head and said softly, "I can't guarantee that, but what is certain is that there are kin of yours inside."
"Xiao Li, shall we head over?"
Xiao Li looked at the image in the illusory space for a few more breaths, her gaze lingering on those mountains and rivers for a moment.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her state of mind.
Finally, she nodded.
"I want to go see."
No matter the outcome, she wanted to take a look.
Lu Qing smiled. "Then let's go."
He waved his hand to disperse the illusory space, then used spatial power to sweep up Little Yan and Xiao Li, taking a step forward.
The space beneath his feet suddenly contracted, and endless stars turned into streaks of light beside them.
Before long, when the three reappeared, what was presented before them was precisely the medium-sized world deduced in the illusory space.
The world hovered quietly in the starry sky, emitting a soft light.
And this world was actually within the Great Yuan Immortal Domain, relatively close to the direction of their Home World.
They had passed by it during their previous travels but had never entered.
Lu Qing did not hesitate and took another step forward, leading them into that world.
The moment they passed through the World Embryo Membrane, a wave of fresh Spiritual Qi rushed toward them.
The Spiritual Qi concentration of this medium-sized world was quite a bit higher than their Home World, but compared to a Great World like the Tian Yuan Great World, it was still far inferior.
However, none of that was important.
Just as they entered that world, Xiao Li felt a throb within her mind.
The throb was faint, yet very clear.
It was like an invisible thread extending from the depths of her heart, connecting to some distant place.
She could feel that in this world, there indeed existed living beings related to her by blood.
Could it be my parents?
Xiao Li couldn't help but feel anxious.
"Xiao Li, which way do we go now?" Lu Qing did not continue using deduction techniques but asked instead.
Xiao Li took a deep breath, slowly calming her emotions. She closed her eyes, carefully sensing the direction of that Bloodline throb.
A moment later, she opened her eyes, raised a front paw, and pointed in one direction.
"Over there."
"Then let's head over. You lead the way."
"Mhm."
Xiao Li turned into a streak of light and flew toward the east.
Lu Qing and Little Yan followed behind. Neither spoke, just quietly following Xiao Li.
Although it wasn't the Space Teleportation Technique, the flight speed of the Primordial Spirit Realm was also extraordinary.
Before long, Xiao Li came to a halt above a vast expanse of mountain forests.
The mountain forest was endless, stretching as far as the eye could see.
The mountain terrain rose and fell with overlapping peaks; ancient trees reached for the sky, vines intertwined, and waterfalls and springs could be seen cascading down from the mountains with a continuous roar.
There were bird calls and beast roars in the forest, and the Spiritual Qi was quite rich—it was a good place for cultivation.
Xiao Li hovered in the air, gazing at the vast, sprawling mountain forest below, and said softly, "Lu Qing, I can sense that the beings connected to my blood are not far ahead, and there are quite a few of them. Two of the Bloodline fluctuations are the strongest."
She paused and then added, "However, only I can sense their Bloodline fluctuations; they cannot sense mine."
Xiao Li had already reached a very high level in her cultivation of the 【True Dragon Nine Transformations】. Combined with the guidance she had received from that Mysterious Existence of the Shaman Race, she could perfectly mask her Bloodline aura.
Unless she was willing, others could not sense her Bloodline fluctuations at all.
"Shall we go straight over?" Lu Qing asked.
Xiao Li thought for a moment and said, "Lu Qing, I want to check the situation first before deciding, is that okay?"
"Of course."
With a wave of Lu Qing's hand, spatial power surged, and the three of them instantly vanished into the void.
Looking from the outside, there was nothing there, not even a trace of spiritual energy fluctuation.
"Let's go. No one can discover us now."
With Lu Qing's current spatial attainments, as °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° long as he wanted to hide his tracks, even a Dao Integration Realm Great Power would find it impossible to discover him, let alone the powerhouses within this medium-sized world.
Xiao Li followed the throb in her blood and flew toward the mountain forest below.
Passing through layers of clouds and mist and crossing peak after peak, they finally landed on one of the massive mountains.
That peak was the highest in this mountain range, its terrain steep with sheer cliffs.
Lu Qing stood on the summit, his gaze scanning the surroundings.
With a brief look, he saw many Dark Spirit Civets leaping and playing among the trees in the mountains.
They were not large, with deep black fur, appearing and disappearing within the shadows of the trees.
The Realms of these Dark Spirit Civets were not high; most were in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment Realms.
A few auras at the Golden Core Realm level were within the mountainside, likely cultivating in Immortal Caves.
And in the very center of the peak, a largest Immortal Cave faintly revealed several auras that had reached the Primordial Spirit Realm.
The two Bloodline fluctuations that made Xiao Li's heart throb the most were inside that Immortal Cave.
Even the other two auras could similarly resonate with her Bloodline.
Watching those Dark Spirit Civets running and leaping in the mountains and feeling their connection to her Bloodline, Xiao Li was finally certain that these were indeed her kin.
Thus, she no longer hesitated and released her Bloodline fluctuations.
Lu Qing, in a tacit understanding, withdrew the spatial power enveloping them.
Xiao Li's Bloodline fluctuations spread out in all directions like ripples on water.
The fluctuations were not intense, but they carried an unspeakable affinity that made all the Dark Spirit Civets startle.
The small civets that were playing stopped in their tracks, looking around blankly.
Those who were cultivating also emerged from their Immortal Caves one after another, their faces filled with confusion.
Then, very quickly, the Immortal Cave in the center burst open, and several figures suddenly flew out, reaching the sky above the peak in the blink of an eye.
They were a middle-aged couple, a young man, and a young woman.
The middle-aged man had a burly build and a square face with a short beard under his chin. He wore a black brocade robe and emitted a steady aura.
The middle-aged woman had a slender figure and a gentle face, with a hint of softness in her eyes.
Her eyes were already turning red as she urgently searched the surroundings for something.
The young man had handsome features, somewhat similar to the middle-aged man, and his eyes held curiosity and wariness.
A young woman was also by their side, her face similarly filled with wonder.
After the group appeared, they were first stunned to see Lu Qing and Little Yan.
They had originally thought the newcomers would be of their own kind, not expecting two strange humans to appear before them.
But soon, their gazes all concentrated on Xiao Li, who was standing on Lu Qing's shoulder.
Because from this Dark Spirit Civet, they felt an incredibly strong Bloodline fluctuation.
It was a fluctuation that only the closest of blood relatives could possibly emit.
It made their very spirits tremble uncontrollably.
Looking at Xiao Li, the middle-aged couple was beyond excited.
Especially the middle-aged woman, whose voice trembled as she said in disbelief, "You... are you Nannan?"
She reached out her hand but didn't dare to approach, fearing this was just an illusion.
Xiao Li's body trembled as she also said, "Are you... my parents?"
Hearing this, the middle-aged woman could no longer hold back and burst into tears.
Tears welled from her eyes, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the ground.
She sobbed and nodded repeatedly. "Yes... I am your mother, and this is your father."
She pulled the middle-aged man beside her. His eyes were also red as he fought back tears and nodded toward Xiao Li.
Xiao Li stared at them blankly, an indescribable emotion welling up in her heart.
By now, Lu Qing had already investigated the information of the people before him with his Supernatural Ability.
He lowered his head and said softly in Xiao Li's ear, "Go ahead, Xiao Li. They are indeed your parents."
Hearing Lu Qing's words, Xiao Li no longer had the slightest doubt.
With a light hop, she jumped toward the woman's embrace.
Mo Yue hurriedly reached out and held Xiao Li tightly in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably as she held her.
"Nannan... Mother has finally found you... finally found you..."
Xiao Li lay in her embrace, feeling that warm hug, and her own eyes grew moist.
Mo Yuan stepped forward, reaching out to gently stroke Xiao Li's head. That large hand trembled slightly, carrying endless apology and heartache.
"Child, all these years... you've suffered."
Xiao Li shook her head and did not speak.
Mo Feng and Mo Yu also gathered around, one on each side, gently touching Xiao Li.
The family of five embraced tightly.
Lu Qing, meanwhile, led Little Yan and quietly stepped aside, leaving the space to them.
